Litsy

The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life | John le Carre

pick

Charming and chilling by turns.
What grabbed me is that it isn't a breathless tour of past exploits, derring-do, it's this well-spoken, self-effacing honest look at a bunch of moments the author decided might be interesting to the reader.
Carre(Cornwell) acknowledges his Service record, rather than slyly alluding to it, and sets out in the very beginning how much he will not be revealing and the reasons why. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? As a result, it is primarily his time as a novelist looking for background, characters, having experiences, that lead to the best stories, though doubtless his time as a spy opened certain doors that others deciding to write in his particular genre might not have access to. It's apparent that Carre has a great admiration of war journalists, and the events related help the reader to understand why. 1d

Robotswithpersonality 3/? It always saddens me to realize in a non-fiction setting, that there are parents who did not offer a supportive, loving home life, and Carre takes a lengthy chapter to introduce his father, and to a lesser extent his mother, so that one is fully engaged in puzzling out their characters, and clearly understands the reason for estrangement. 1d

Robotswithpersonality 4/? Likewise, while there are few allusions or direct statements, it appears Carre may have had difficulties in other personal relationships, though it seems that he knew many people, may have had many friends.
I suppose it's a testament to his writing that I find it strange to think he may not have been a joy and a help to those around him because the way he talks about so many of the people he encountered is appreciative, empathetic and even 1d

Robotswithpersonality 5/? amused.
Perhaps it's the contrast, he speaks lucidly, if not off-handledly, about a number of dark realities, I felt occasionally that I'd understand the full weight of a few stories better if I had a more thorough understanding of international political history.
I'm still interested to try his fiction (though there were a few spoilers within these pages), but I'm now prepared for the lower likelihood of happy endings... 1d

Robotswithpersonality 6/6 A note on the audiobook, as I did a tandem read: read by the author, a great voice, and impressive ability to replicate the accent/cadence of others, really added to the reading experience.
⚠️war violence, domestic violence, mention of SA, suicide, torture 1d

9 likes5 comments

Robotswithpersonality

The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life | John le Carre

🤨😏

8 likes1 stack add

Robotswithpersonality

The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life | John le Carre

Oh yeah, if this is the way he writes non-fiction, I'm definitely going to end up trying his novels.

12 likes

SmartBookWorms

Karla's Choice: A John le Carr� Novel | Nick Harkaway

pick

“Karla's Choice“ is a must-read for fans of le Carré and anyone who enjoys intelligent, suspenseful fiction with a touch of moral complexity. It's a story that will stay with you long after you turn the final page, prompting reflection on the choices we make and the sacrifices we are willing to endure in pursuit of what we believe in.

The full Deep Dive review of this book can be watched from our YouTube channel...

https://youtu.be/b8LOb80yE2w

DGRachel

Karla's Choice: A John le Carr� Novel | Nick Harkaway

pick

Was I nervous about anyone, even Le Carre‘s son, taking on my favorite fictional spy? Yes. I needn‘t have been. Harkaway captures the heart of the original, while still keeping his own style and cadence. I loved being in his version of the Circus, revisiting old friends, and getting a new, deeper backstory to the cold war that exists specifically between Smiley and Karla.

49 likes